shells screen time controls vs ScreenBrake

Take some of your hours back. Shells shows you where your phone time really goes, then helps you use it a little less. It gives you the whole range, from a gentle nudge to a short pause to a firm block, so you can start gentle and only go firmer for the apps that keep pulling you in. LIGHT: GENTLE NUDGES, NOTHING BLOCKED • Soft Nudges: a Volume Warning at 90% of your daily goal, Usage Milestones as your day adds up, a Daily Check-in Reminder for your streak, and Reach Alerts when you keep reaching for a paused or blocked app. MEDIUM: A SHORT PAUSE BEFORE AN APP OPENS • Mindful Pauses (iOS 26 or later): a Shortcuts automation brings up a calm 15 second breath when you open a chosen app, then you pick how long you'd like it for. Its notifications still come through. • Mindful Pauses + No Notifications: the Screen Time version. The app stays behind a shield between pauses, which can also keep its notifications out of the way. • Exercise Unlock: a few squats or a plank first, counted on your iPhone by the camera. • Steps Unlock: a short walk first. • Quick Session: an optional 20 second pass for a quick reply. STRICT: APPS STAY CLOSED WHEN YOU NEED THEM TO • Morning Block: keep your phone down first thing, apart from the essentials you pick. • App Limits: a daily allowance. Once it's used up, the app stays blocked until tomorrow, with 5 minutes of Emergency access if you really need it. • Scheduled Blocks: close apps at set times, like 9 to 5 on weekdays. • Location Blocks: block apps at the places you choose, or allow them only there. • NFC Locks: apps stay locked until you tap your own NFC sticker. AND A FEW EXTRAS • Holiday Mode: pause or relax any control while you're away. Everything switches back on by itself after the last day you pick. • Focus Sessions: block apps for a set time, with a Lock Screen countdown. • Calm browsing: open Instagram, YouTube, X, TikTok, Facebook and Reddit inside Shells with the parts you choose hidden, like the feed, Reels or Shorts. • Widgets: time left today, trends, the apps you choose, and one-tap Focus Sessions. SEE YOUR DAY CLEARLY • Three rings for productivity, screen time and a daily health score. • An hour by hour chart, pickups, a 30-day heatmap and a closer look at any app. • If you like, a timeline of the places where you use your phone most. YOUR DATA Your screen time, places and location history stay on your iPhone. What goes online: your optional Sign in with Apple account, referrals and feedback (Supabase), Pro status (RevenueCat), and product analytics with a device ID and your account ID (Statsig), never your screen time or location. Turn on iCloud backup and your settings, check-in notes, places and recent location history go to your own iCloud. We never sell your data. SHELLS AND PRO Each app you pause, each limit or block, each NFC Lock group and each Calm browsing site uses a Shell. Everyone starts with 1, and inviting friends earns up to 2 more. A free account adds basic Insights. Shells Pro gives you unlimited Shells, so every control runs at once, plus every Insights card. Widgets and Holiday Mode are free, and every control works on the free plan using your Shells. Pro comes as Monthly, Annual or Lifetime (one-time purchase). Annual and Lifetime have launch pricing, and new Monthly and Annual subscribers get a 1-month free trial (eligibility applies), until 31 December 2026 unless changed or extended. Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends; manage them in your App Store account settings. WHAT YOU NEED iOS 18 or later, Screen Time access and notifications (the Screen Time pause opens from a notification). Mindful Pauses via Shortcuts need iOS 26 or later. Location, Motion, Camera and NFC are optional. Privacy Policy: https://consciousscreentime.netlify.app/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

ScreenBrake makes distracting apps less automatic. Add a short pause before opening selected apps, breathe, check your intention, and choose whether to continue. Use it for social media, video apps, games, shopping, news, bedtime scrolling, morning checking, or any app-opening habit that has become too automatic. Your attention pet makes the pause feel warm instead of harsh. Catch an impulse, delay a scroll, or continue intentionally, and your companion reacts as your habits improve. ScreenBrake is private and user-controlled. It does not read what you see inside other apps, secretly intercept app launches, or promise guaranteed results. It helps you place one clear moment between the impulse and the feed. Brake before the scroll. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/